


I Just Want to be the One You Love

by 8yearoldashthetics



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Denial of Feelings, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Love Confessions, M/M, No Lesbians Die, No Smut, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, THAT TAG IS SO FUNNY FOR WHAT, we do not love Oikawa's, we love Iwa's mom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29868114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8yearoldashthetics/pseuds/8yearoldashthetics
Summary: When you turn 18 you get a phrase on your wrist, the first words your soulmate ever says to you. Sounds simple enough, or that’s what Oikawa thinks until 3 words show up on his lifelong best friend Iwaizumi’s wrist. The same three words Oikawa said when he first met him back when they were eight. The problem is Iwaizumi is unaware of Oikawa’s real first words to him, and he’s convinced he’s already met his soulmate.orOikawa’s an idiot who won’t tell Iwaizumi the truth.
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies to Japanese culture/school system. I tried my best to research but it may not all be accurate. The same goes for cannon things about the characters.
> 
> Keep in mind Iwaizumi and Oikawa are currently in 2nd year (later though they will be in their 3rd year)
> 
> Most of this fic will probably be written in Oikawa's perspective because I feel that I am better at writing it but I needed to do some Iwa to establish the backstory 
> 
> Also if there's any spelling/grammar errors please forgive me. I tried my best to edit but I might not have caught everything
> 
> I hope anyone who reads enjoys!
> 
> Have a great day :)
> 
> (I'll try to update as much as possible but sometimes I lack motivation and don't write for a while)

**Iwaizumi**

Soulmarks, the words on your wrist that were supposed to be the first thing your soulmate ever says to you. They appeared on your eighteenth birthday and stayed for the rest of your life. No one really knew why or how they appeared. Many scientists had tried to figure it out but to no avail. So they kind of just existed with little questioning.

Through years of hearing about soulmarks, Iwaizumi decided there were generally three ways people acted in regard to them. The first were people who spent their whole lives obsessing over them and kept a log of every person’s first words to them. The second were people who cared about the marks but didn’t really think much of them until their eighteenth birthday when they appeared. The final category consisted of people who didn’t give a fuck.

Iwaizumi considered himself to be in the final category.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like soulmarks, in fact he would have rather liked to have a soulmate that he knew he was destined to be with forever. It would be nice to know that there is someone out there for you just waiting to be discovered. But that was exactly the problem, he already knows who he wants to be with forever.

_ Tooru Oikawa _

His lifelong best friend, his setter, and the person who he desperately wants to be his soulmate.

Unfortunately for Iwaizumi, Oikawa is straight. 

Today is June 9th, or the day before his birthday. Tomorrow he gets his soulmark and is banished to a life of fake smiles and strained I love you’s. 

It was a Friday and he had convinced his mom to let him skip school with some stupid excuse about feeling sick. He knew she didn’t buy it but she let him stay home. He was faking sickness so that his friends wouldn’t come over to stay up til midnight with him. He knew he was going to have to hold back tears as he looked at his wrist and didn’t find Oikawa’s first words to him there, and he really didn’t want to have his friends see that. 

Despite himself, he couldn’t help but have the tiniest flicker of hope that maybe Oikawa would be his soulmate. Maybe he would get the happy ending that he so desperately wanted.

So at eleven fifty on his birthday eve Iwaizumi silently prayed that his wrist said Tooru Oikawa. Oikawa’s first words to him were just his name, but that was the way it was with almost everyone. Oikawa had gotten the idea that if he only said his name whenever talking to a new person he could easily find his soulmate. He’d started when he was six and hadn’t stopped since.

He shook himself out of his Oikawa induced trance and tried to clear his head of negative thoughts.

_ I’m sure you’ll love your soulmate _

_ They’ll be perfect for you _

_ It’s probably normal to fall for someone other than your soulmate _

_ Right? _

_ Oh look at that it’s eleven fifty-nine. _

It’s eleven fifty-nine. He checks the countdown he has on his phone, there's exactly ten seconds left until the mark appears. 

Ten

_ Your soulmate is going to be perfect _

Nine

_ I hope they have brown hair and brown eyes _

Eight

_ Like Oikawa _

Seven

_ Stop thinking about Oikawa _

Six

_ I hope they play volleyball _

Five

_ Maybe they’re a setter _

Four

_ Like Oikawa _

Three

_ Focus on your soulmate _

Two

_ NOT Oikawa _

One

_ Fuck I really love Oikawa _

Zero

Iwaizumi felt a tingle on his wrist for a few seconds and then suddenly it stopped. It was there, his soulmark was there. Slowly and very hesitantly he looked down.

His wrist reads,

_ Whatcha listening to? _

Iwaizumi sits there on his bed silently for what feels like hours, but in reality is only a few seconds. He stares at that stupid soulmark of his. Oikawa wasn’t his soulmate. For some stupid reason he’d allowed himself to hope and now he was crushed. His head swirls with thoughts as he tries to keep his composure and not let the tears fall. 

He fails.

He's never felt this way before. It’s like all the stress he’s felt building up inside of him is coming out at once. He doesn’t know what to do, so he lets it all out deciding it’s probably better than bottling all his emotions up.

He spends the first 20 minutes of his birthday crying.

Once he decides he’s been wallowing in his sorrow for too long he wipes the tears away and checks his phone in an attempt to distract himself. Now would probably be a good time to actually read the numerous texts he’s gotten throughout the day. Yesterday he had turned off all text notifications because he determined it’d be better to ghost all his friends instead of accidentally having them realize how he was feeling.

He turns on notifications and his phone is flooded with them. He doesn’t have many close friends but the ones he does have sure do like to spam him.

**Matsukawa:** 8 Text Messages

**Hanamaki:** 10 Text Messages

**Oikawa:** 17 Text Messages

Oikawa had texted him, 17 times. He knew he was going to have to check them eventually so why not do it now? Rip off the bandaid. 

**Yesterday, 9:06 a.m.**

**Oikawa:** TOMORROW IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!

**Oikawa:** THE BIG 18!!!!

**Oikawa:** SOULMARK SATURDAY

**Oikawa:** haha get it your birthday is on saturday and you get your soulmark

**Oikawa:** why aren’t you responding 

**Yesterday, 9:45 a.m.**

**Oikawa:** YOU AREN'T HERE!! WHAT

**Oikawa:** your mom says you’re sick so i can’t come over after school

**Oikawa:** seriously iwa-chan out of  _ allll  _ the days of the year you chose today to get sick

**Oikawa:** RESPOND!!

**Oikawa:** please? 

**Oikawa:** okay don’t respond BUT as soon as it’s your birthday you better send me a picture of your soulmark I WANNA BE THE FIRST TO SEE IT!

**Oikawa:** i have your homework btw :)

**Today, 12:01 a.m.**

**Oikawa:** soulmark? 

**Oikawa:** hellloooooo

**Oikawa:** you make me sad

**Oikawa:** i give up

**Oikawa:** but for real when you read these please send me a picture or i’ll break into your house (i know where we keep the hammer)

Not showing Oikawa his soulmark was delaying the inevitable so he might as well send him a picture now. Also he wasn’t exactly sure if Oikawa was joking about breaking in or not and didn’t want to take any chances. So he turns on his lamp and sends a picture of his soulmark.

**Iwaizumi:** Attachment: 1 image

As soon as he sends the picture the three dots indicating Oikawa was typing go away. Seriously? He was going to text him constantly about seeing Iwaizumi’s soulmark and then when he actually gets to see it he doesn’t have anything to say?

Why did he love this asshole?

He wishes he didn’t. If he didn’t then the majority of his problems would be solved and he could actually be excited to meet his soulmate. But unfortunately he’d fallen.

  
Fallen _ hard _ .


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So what if Oikawa had never told Iwaizumi his real first words to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some homophobia and homophobic language (f-slur) used in this chapter!  
> (I am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community btw)

**Oikawa**

So what if Oikawa had never told Iwaizumi his real first words to him?

Oikawa was straight. He was _normal_. He did not like Iwaizumi and definitely did not wonder what it would be like if he kissed him. He certainly never wondered what it would be like to have Iwaizumi’s hands running through his hair. That’s why he never told him. There honestly wasn’t a reason to. They were both guys so they weren’t soulmates. 

Truthfully Oikawa had known that he’d liked guys and girls and everyone in between for as long as he could remember. But he’d kept it a secret. Locked it away so well that even he sometimes forgot how he felt. He spent everyday convincing himself that guys weren’t actually all that and that dating a woman would be better. He also spent everyday praying to whoever even controlled this whole soulmate system that they would give him a female soulmate.

If his soulmate was a man everything would be ruined. He’d lose all his friends and his reputation at school would be ruined. Maybe they’d even kick him off the volleyball team because they’d be so disgusted. What was he if he wasn’t the popular boy who all the girls loved? Without that he was nothing.

He knew realistically this wasn’t true. No one on his team cared about who people liked. When he was a first year two of the third years found out they were soulmates and everyone on the team was happy for them. As for school, sure some people might judge him but he wouldn’t lose his popularity overnight. He was over exaggerating what would happen so that he could distract himself for the real reason he couldn’t like men.

_His mom._

She’d been drilling the idea that liking men was wrong ever since he was a little kid.

\---

The first time he remembered her doing something was when he was eight. There had been a lot of disgusted glances before then but this was the first time she openly admitted to hating non-straight relationships. He had the day off school so his mom took him to see a movie. There had been a clip of two girls kissing and his mom had dragged him out of the theatre half way through the movie. The characters weren’t even the main characters and the clip couldn't have been more than three seconds long. He didn’t know why they had left; he wanted to know how the movie ended.

On his way out the theatre he heard his mom mumbling angrily

_The things they’re showing kids these days…_

_Do they really want them to turn out like that?_

_We certainly won’t be returning there again._

Once they got back to the car his mom turned to face him and stared directly into his eyes with a forced smile on her face. Her voice was sickly sweet as she said “Honey you know why I took you out of there right? I can’t have you ending up like that. When you grow up your soulmate is going to be a gorgeous woman. Do you understand me?”

Oikawa didn’t understand. If mom liked men why couldn’t he? Was it not normal to think that everyone was pretty? Yeah he liked a few girls in his year but he also liked some guys. But he could sense the seriousness in his mom’s tone, so he just said, “Of course Mom don’t worry!” 

“That’s my boy.”

\---

She never really brought it up again until he was thirteen.

“Hey mom, do you have any concealer? I’ve got a bruise on my face from volleyball and I want to cover it up before school tomorrow”

She turned to face him slowly and asked “What did you say to me?”

Had he done something wrong? He couldn’t think of anything wrong with wanting to cover up a bruise. “I just wa-” 

She cuts him off, her voice a harsh whisper “Did you really ask me for makeup? What do you want people to think of you? That you’re a faggot ?” The word slipped out of her mouth like poison. “Go to your room and come back out when you understand what you did wrong.”

Oikawa nodded his head and quickly ran off to his room and frantically tried to stop himself from shaking. When he got back to his room he felt a lump in his throat and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

The feeling didn’t go away for a very long time.

\---

Whenever Oikawa met a new person he shouted his name at them. It started when he was around six when his mom told him about his father.

His mother and father had found out they were soulmates when they were both 26 and married a year later. At 30 his mom had become pregnant with Oikawa and everything seemed to be going great. Until his father collapsed 2 months before Oikawa was born and never got back up. 

Ever since he found out how little time his mother truly had with her soulmate he decided he was going to make an effort to find his soulmate as soon as they turned 18 so that he could have as much time with them as possible. His six year old brain had decided the best way to go about this was to say his name to everyone upon meeting them for the first time. That way when his soulmate’s soulmark appeared they would know the name of their soulmate. 

Almost 12 years later and he continued to do the same thing. Sure it was awkward at times when he would accidentally bump into someone and he would say Tooru Oikawa before apologizing but he was determined to find his soulmate.

If only he’d known that they’d been in front of him all along.

\---

He was eight when he first met Iwa.

It was his eighth birthday and he had invited a few of his elementary school friends to the park for a party. 

The parents at the party needed time to get the food out so they sent the boys away to occupy themselves.

Since they were eight there wasn’t really much to do besides play stupid games, so they decided to play hide and seek. It was Oikawa’s birthday so he thought he ought to be it first and told everyone they had two minutes to hide.

Oikawa was never really good at focusing when he saw something he liked. In the case of his eighth birthday, the said thing turned out to be Iwaizumi. While he was counting (and cheating by looking through his hands as all kids do) he spotted a spiky haired boy. Something about him intrigued eight year old Oikawa. So much so that he decided he should ditch the game of hide and seek to go talk to him.

As he got close to the boy he noticed that he was using headphones and Oikawa could hear a faint sound coming from them. The boy was not facing him so he just said the first thing that came to mind in an attempt to get the boy’s attention, completely forgetting to say his name. The boy didn’t hear him so he tapped him on the shoulder.

He opened his mouth to speak but then realized that what he’d said wasn’t his name so he frantically halfway said halfway screamed,

“TOORU OIKAWA!”

“What kind of idiot goes around screaming their name at people?”

After that Oikawa demanded an apology from the kid, who introduced himself as Iwaizumi, and got one after a lot of pestering. For some reason he and Iwa talked easily to each other despite their odd interaction. Five minutes later Oikawa’s mom came to tell the boys that food was ready but found only Oikawa talking to a kid she didn’t know.

“Hey sweetie, is this one of your school friends? I don’t recognize him, of course if you’d like he’s welcome to stay for food with the other boys. That is if we can find them.”

Oikawa looked to the boy who nodded at him indicating that he could stay for food. 

And ever since then he and Iwa had been more or less inseparable. So inseparable that they went to Kitagawa Daiichi together and they then followed each other to Aoba Johsai after that.

The problem wasn’t the way they met, and the problem wasn’t how close they were. The problem was what words Oikawa had said to Iwa when he first met him. The words that Iwa didn’t know he said. The words that were now permanently visible on Iwa’s wrist.

_Whatcha listening to?_

\---

He and Iwaizumi were soulmates. Iwaizumi didn’t know. 

Oikawa can think of four ways this could go.

  1. He tells Iwaizumi now and gets to be happy with his soulmate but his mother kicks him out of the house and refuses to call him her son.
  2. He tells Iwaizumi on July 20th when Oikawa’s soulmark shows up and he gets to be with Iwa but his mother kicks him out of the house and refuses to call him her son.
  3. He never tells Iwaizumi and when he gets his soulmark he covers it up. When he grows up he’ll marry someone else who also isn’t with their soulmate and will lead a mediocre life.
  4. Denial. Deny everything and hope that Iwa’s soulmate happened to say the same first thing to Iwa that he did.



He likes option four. 

If Oikawa is actually Iwaizumi’s soulmate (which he isn’t) he can leave future Oikawa to deal with that.

As for current Oikawa he should probably respond to Iwa so that he doesn’t seem weird. Normally Oikawa would be thrilled to talk about soulmarks and would be pestering Iwa about if he knew who his soulmate was yet. 

He’s not exactly sure what to say. What do you say when your friend is your soulmate?

No. Not is. Might. 

His friend _might_ be his soulmate, but probably isn’t. It’s fine. Just act normal, it’s all a coincidence that you’ll laugh about in 5 years. Respond like you normally would because everything is normal. 

**Oikawa:** took you long enough so… do you know them yet???

**Iwa-chan <3: **No, I don't know them.

 **Iwa-chan <3:** Also stop complaining.

He smiles down at his phone. His Iwa was so rude sometimes. His Iwa? That was new. The thought had come to him before he even had time to process it. He really had to stop thinking like that. Iwa wasn’t his. Iwa was his soulmate’s, and his soulmate was not Oikawa. 

Denial was proving to be much harder than he thought it would be.


End file.
